Building the perfect QB

Doug Socha knows when college coaches want to find a quarterback, their first instinct is to look at players in California. The American Heritage-Delray offensive coordinator wants to change that thinking.

For the past few months, Socha has run quarterback-only camps in Broward and Palm Beach counties in hopes of developing quarterbacks that colleges seek. Apparently, Socha isn't the only one who sees the need for such training. All three of his four-week camps sold out. Each session had spots for 10-12 athletes. In each three-hour session, the players spend one hour in the classroom and two hours on the field.

Socha emphasizes to the players how important it is to read defenses, understand progressions and have a game plan based on intelligence and not reacting to find the open player.

"Any quarterback can take a five-step drop, throw the football and look good doing it," Socha said. "But unless he can process the information in front of him, he's worthless."

The curriculum for the D1 Quarterback Academy also includes attacking all of the major drop steps, shotgun work and basic throwing mechanics. The majority of it occurs in an up-tempo style created to duplicate gamelike situations.

Two future college quarterbacks in American Heritage's Justin Feagin (Michigan) and Coral Spring Charter's Evan Landi (USF) attended the camp in April.

Feagin said it is difficult for quarterbacks to find good training, especially for something other than just throwing to receivers.

"The classroom stuff is better than the field stuff," Landi said. "Any decent coach can show you a five-step drop. Coach Socha shows us the little things. He teaches us to win with our brains first."

Hitting the weight room or doing cardio are easy tasks for high school athletes. But understanding the game, especially from the quarterback position, is much more difficult. Finding a good quarterback camp in California is as easy as looking one up in the phone book.

With more camps such as Socha's, maybe Florida could turn into a hot spot not only for speed and athleticism, but dominating quarterbacks.

One step away

Don't expect any cases of nerves or jitters to knock Palm Beach softball players off their game. Each of the four teams playing in the regional finals tonight played its way to the same point last year.

Do expect, however, three of those teams to use last year as motivation. Lake Worth Christian was the only team to qualify for state with Palm Beach Gardens, Dwyer and Glades Day all losing in dramatic one-run games.

Last year, Lake Worth Christian was the only team to host its regional final game.

This season, Glades Day is the only team that has to travel as it faces Westminster Christian again. Glades Day is also the only district runner-up from the area still playing.

Gardens is playing in its fifth consecutive regional final. Lake Worth Christian is still undefeated at 24-0. Dwyer is looking for its first state trip. The Panthers have lost three times in the regional finals.

Signings

Two more Glades Central football players have made their college decisions. Quarterback/linebacker Deandre Holley will attend Stillman College and cornerback Kardell Dunning signed with Louisville. Lake Worth Christian basketball standout Ryan Scharps will sign with Palm Beach Atlantic on Thursday. Scharps was a South Florida Sun-Sentinel first-team All-County basketball selection as well as second-team All-State.

Stacy Hicklin can be reached at shicklin@sun-sentinel.com

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Regional finals

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Class 6A

Cooper City (19-8) at Palm Beach Gardens (28-4)

Site: Palm Beach Gardens High, 4245 Holly Drive

What's at stake: State semifinal on May 9 against West Orange or Durant

Class 5A

St. Thomas Aquinas (25-4) at Dwyer (21-8)

Site: Dwyer High, 13601 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens

What's at stake: State semifinal on May 7 against Pace or Bartram Trail

Class 2A

Glades Day (20-7) at Westminster Christian (23-6)

Site: Westminster Christian

Time: 4 p.m.

What's at stake: State semifinal on May 7 against Sneads or Wewahitchka

Class 1A

Zion Lutheran (9-7) at Lake Worth Christian (24-0)

Site: Lake Worth Christian, 7592 High Ridge Road, Boynton Beach

Time: 4 p.m.

What's at stake: State semifinal on Monday against Bethlehem or Eagle's View Academy